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Dairy-farm workers face probe: BC SPCA

Fallen cows get tangled in a rotating milking system at Chilliwack Cattle Sales in a video released on Monday June 9, 2010. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO, SPCA

CHILLIWACK, B.C. - The British Columbia SPCA has announced that its recommending charges against eight employees of Canada's largest dairy farm.

Chilliwack Cattle Sales Ltd. runs a dairy farm with more than 3,500 animals in the Fraser Valley community, about 100 kilometres east of Vancouver.

The society's Marcie Moriarty says her organization has received an undercover video from a non-profit group showing employees whipping, punching, kicking and beating dairy cows with chains, canes, rakes, boots and even fists.

She says the SPCA launched an immediate investigation and has now recommended Criminal Code charges against eight employees.

The company has released a statement, saying it's devastated by the news and has suspended the employees who were allegedly involved in the incident.

The company says the allegations do not reflect its animal-care standards, and it will be taking steps to ensure similar incidents do not occur in the future.